Adjustable neck for banjos



Dec. 21 1926.

. w. LANGE ADJUSTABLE NECK FOR BANJOS Filed Oct. 16, 1923 Inventor:Wzllaam I .lanyv, .BykzS/Ztt fle M KW Patented Dec. 21, 1926.

UNITED STATES WILLIAM L. LANGE, 013' NEW YORK, N. Y.

ADJUSTABLE NECK F'OR BANJOS.

Application filed October 16. 1923.

This invention relates to banjos or similar stringed instruments, andhas for one object to provide a device by which the strings may all betensioned at once, as for rais- 5; inc; or lowering the tone.

smother object of the invention is to provide means in a device of thiskind, where by the string tension may be stiffened or eased, to suit theindividual player, by raising or lowering all of the strings,simultaneously, rel five to the frets and body thereby changing theangle and height of the strings relative to the keyboard.

Another object of the invention is to provide an apparatus or device ofthis kind by which the neck of the instrument may be pivoted.

Other objects of the invention are to improve generally the simplicityand eiiiciency of such devices and to provide a device of this kindwhich is durable and economical to manufacture and easy to operate andwhich will not get out of order.

Still other objects or" the invention will appear as the descriptionproceeds; and while herein details of the invention are described, theinvention is not limited to these since many and various changes may bemade without departing from the scope of the invention as claimed.

The inventive features for the accomplishment of these and other objectsare shown herein in connection with an improved banjo which, brieflystated, comprises a banjo body having a neck pivoted to said body andscrew means for gradually adjustably moving said neck toward and fromthe plane of the body.

In the accompanying drawin showing by way of example, one of manypossible embodiments of the invention,

Fig. 1. is fragmental longitudinal vertical sectional view, partly inelevation, showing rhe banjo body and neck:

2 is a tragmental bottom plan, partly in sec ion, of the same; and

Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the banjo.

lliough this invention is not limited to any particular type oi. banjobody or stringed instrument, it is here shown in combination with a bnjo body comprising a rim 5 on which is mounted a metal ring 6 havinginwardly extending lugs 8 terminating on said rim. the upper part of thering comprising a tone band 9 spaced from said rim, to form Serial No.668,352.

sound outlets 10. Bolts 11 are passed throu 'h said lugs and rim andhave lower heads. not shown.

Around the rim is disposed an outer casing 15 having a sound reflectingvertical outer portion 16 spaced from said ban d and rim, an inwardlydisposed intermediate ledge 1'7, :1 downwardly extended portion 18joining the inner part of said ledge, and an inwardly disposed lowerhorizontal portion 19 spaced from the rim and provided with countersunknoies receiving said bolts and heads. Spacing collars 22 on said boltsbetween said rim and horizontal portion hold. the rim and portion 19spaced apart and form large sound passages 23. A vellum 25 disposed oversaid band 9 terminates in a vellum ring 2c engaged by a strain ring 27iorced down hv suitable hooks engaging on the strain ring and passingthrough said ledge and receiv ing nuts on the lower ends of the hooksand engaging under said ledge, the hooks not being shown as they form nopart of the present invention.

The banjo neck 30 has an enlarged base portion 31 provided with ahorizontal end recess 33 providing wide upper and lower engaging flanges34: and 35 respectively disposed above and below said reflecting portion16 of the casing and provided with upper and lower arcuate faces 38 and39, Fig. 2 conforming to the curvature of said strain ring 27 and saiddownwardly extended portion 18, the upper flange thus pivoting on saidstrain ring and the upper ed e of said outer portion. The inner face ofsaid recess is also arcuate and conforms to the curvature of the outerface of said reflecting portion 16.

A washer plate 1:0 fixed on the inner in of said rim is provir' ed withupper and lower opening" receiving thrust and strain 2 disposed in saidopenings bolts 41 ant. A respectively and having inner operating heads43. The upper thrust bolt 41 is provided with a reduced outer bearingend received in a lateral bearing bore provided in a rod 46 disposed inthe vertical bore lT of the banjo neck. The intermediate part of thethrust bolt is threaded and is received in a radial tapped bore passingthrough said outer portion 16 and a deep boss 50 thereon. Said rod 16 isalso provided with a transverse tapped bore 51 receiving the threadedend 52 of the strain bolt 42, whereas shown by the full lines of Fig. 0.

by adjustment of said bolts may cause the neck to pivot and engageagainst said strain ring and upper edge of the outer portion of thecasing, thereby to raise or lower the strings 55 of the banjo relativeto the vellum to permit the use of a high or a low bridge 56, or ifnecessary because of the bending or warping of the neck, and also whendesired to bring about change of tension of all the strin s at once toraise or lower the tone of the banjo as a whole.

The bolts 41 and 42 also cooperate with the rod 46 for supporting theneck on the outer casing 15 and connecting the neck to the body of theinstrument so that the neck and the body of the instrument, when theneck is in normal position, are in substantially the same horizontalplane, as shown in Fig. 1, and all the end faces of the neck are spacedslightly away from the adjacent faces of the body of the instrument,that is, the bottom face of the recess 83 and the end face of the flangeportion 39 are spaced slightly away from the adjacent faces of the outercasing and the end face of the flange portion 38 is spaced slightly awayfrom the adjacent face of the strain ring 27, the neck being whollysupported by said bolts and movable upwardly or downwardly by said boltsto inclined portions on either side of the normal horizontal plane ofthe neck and body. The bolt 42 also provides a means for retaining therod 46 in the bore 47, of the neck.

The banjo is played upon in the ordinary way. If it be desired to use ahigh bridge such as would otherwise lift the strings too far from thefrets, it is necessary to pivot the neck backwardly to bring the stringsclose to. the frets. This is accomplished by screwing the thrust bolt 41against the rod 46 and turning the strain bolt 42 to draw the rod 46toward the rim. This causes the neck to pivot backwardly so, that thestrings and neck will take the position of the dotted lines of Fig. 3.

If one should use a low bridge with the neck pivoted back, as justdescribed, strings might touch the frets; and it is then necessary tomanipulate the bolts 41 and 42 in a manner reverse to the above to bringthe strings the right distance from the frets,

Similar movements to the above without changing the bridges, have theeffect of raising or lowering the tone of all the strings at once.

If for any reason the neck should become strained, bent or warped, so asto destroy the right relation between the strings and the keyboard, thedefect can be removed by adjustably pivoting the neck until the rightrelation is restored.

I claim-z 1. In a string instrument, in combination,

the adjacent faces of the body and the neck being movable by said meansto inclined positions on either side of the normal plane of the neck andbody.

2. In a string instrument, in combination, a body, a neck, and meansdisposed in the body at a right angle to means disposed in the neck andcooperating therewith for supporting the neck and connecting the neckand body in substantially the s..-ne plane when the neck is in normalposition, the neck being wholly supported by said means, all the endfaces of the neck when the neck is in normal position being spaced awayfrom the adjacent faces of the body and the neck being movable by saidmeans to inclined positions on either side of the normal plane of theneck and body, the means in the body providing means for retaining inthe neck the second mentioned means.

3. In a sound instrument, the combination of an instrument body providedwith plain and tapped parallel bores; a neck pivotall disposed relativeto the body; strain and thrust bolts disposed .1 said plain and tappedbores respectively and having wrench receiving heads within the body,the strain bolt having a threaded end, the thrust bolt having itsintermediate part threaded and received in the tapped bore; and a membercarried fast by said 11983 and pressed upon by said thrust bolt andprovided with a tapped bore receiving said threaded end of the strainbolt.

4. In a string instrument, in combination, a body, a neck having atransverse bore therein, a rod in said bore, and a thrust bolt and astrain bolt disposed in the body at right angles to said rod and securedatone of their ends to the rod for supporting the neck and connectingthe neck and body so that when the neck is in normal position the neckand body are in substantially the same plane, the neck when in normalposition be ing spaced away at all its end faces'adjacent to the bodyfrom the faces of the body and being movable by said bolts to inclinedpositions on either side of the normal plane of the neck and body.

5. In a string instrument, in combination, a body, a neck having atransverse bore therein, a rod in said bore, thrust bolt and a strainbolt disposed in the body in spaced superimposed relation to each otherand at right angles to said rod and securedto the rod at one of theirends for supporting fit) neck ano connecting the neck and body so thatwhen the neck is in normal pc i in the neck and body are insubstantially the plane, the neck being movable by said bolts toinclined positions on either side of the normal plane at the neck andbody.

6. in string instrument, in combination, a body, a neck having atransverse bore therein, a rod in said bore, a thrust bolt a: l a strainbolt disposed in the body in spaced superimposed relation to each otherand at right angles to said rod and secure-" the red at one oi. theirends for supporting the neck and coi'inecting the neck and body so thatwhen the neck is in normal position the neck and body are insubstantially the re plane, the neck being movable by said bolts toinclined. positions on ei'lihcr side or th i inal plane of the neck andbody, the bolt passing through said rod for retain? the rod in sa ltransverse boi 7. In a sound instrument, the combination oi an inssrment body provided with plain and tapped parallel bores; a neckpivotally disposed relative to the body an proriced with a transversebore; strain 1 l thrust bolts disposed in said plain and tapped boresrespectively, the strain bolt having a threaded end, the thrust boltbeing provided with a reduced outer bearing end, th intermediate part ofthe thrust bolt icing threaded and received in the tapped bore; and arod disposed in said transverse bore and provided with a bearing borereceiving said bearing end and a tapped bore receiving said threaded endof the strain bolt.

8, In a string instrument, in combination, a body having a rim memberand a rigid outer casing; around the rim member, neck pivotally restingon said casing, and means for adjustably positioning the neck relativeto the body.

9. In a stringii rument, in combination, a body having rim mei'nber, arigid outer casing); on the rim member, a neck, means appurtenant to tle rim member nd outer casing; cooperating with means appurtenant to theneck for supporting the neck and connecting the neck body so t when theneck is in normal posi 'on the neck body are in snbstant;-.lly the sameplane, the necl e ,ng movable by said means to inclined positions oneither side of the normal plane of the neck and body.

10. In a string instrument, in combination, a body having a rim member,an outer casing on the rim member, and means appurtenaht to the rimmember and outer casing cooperating with means appurtenant to the neckfor supporting the neck and connecting the neck and body so that whenthe neck is normal position the neck and body are in substantially thesame plane, the neck when in normal position being spaced away from thebody at all its end faces adiacent to the faces cit said outer casingand movable by said means to inclined positions on either side of thenormal plane oi the neck and bod 11. in a string instrument, in combinaarim member, an outer s in the neck for connecting the neck and l iy sothat when the neck is in normal position the neck and body are insubstantially the same plane, the neck when in normal position beingspaced away at the bottom face of said recess and at the end faces ofsaid flanges from the adjacent faces of the body and movable l y saimeans to inclined positions on either side oi the normal plane oi theneck and bodv.

12. In a string instrument, in combination, a body having a rim me a0118 band on the rim member, a vellum stretched over the tone band, anouter casing on the rim member and spaced away from the rim member, aneck having an enlarged end provided with a bore havin a rod therein andhaving a recess formed by extending flanges oi the enlarged end, a sideportion the outer casing being received in said recess, and a thrustbolt and st bolt in the rim member passing throu h said side portion andsecured to said rod at right angles to the rod for supporting the neckand connect ing the neck to the outer casing and rim member so that whenthe neck is in normal position the neck and aid vellum are insubstantially the same plane, the neck being movable by said bolts toinclined positions on either side of the normal plane of the neck andvellum.

in a strin, trnment, in combination, a body having a run member, a i onthe rim member, a vellum on the tone band, a strain ring for stretchingthe vellum on the tone band, an outer casing on the rim member andspaced away from the rim member, a neck having an enlarged end providedWith a bore having a rod therein and having a recess formed by extendingflanges of the enlarger end, a side portion of the outer casing singreceived in said recess, and a thrust bolt and strain bolt in the rimmember passing; through said side portion and secured to said red atright gles to said rod for supporting the neck and connecting the neckto the outer casing and rim member so that when the neck is in normalposition the neck and said vellum are in substantially the same plane,the neck when in normal p sition being spaced away at the bottom aco ofsaid recess and the end face of one of said flanges from the adjacentfaces of the outer casing and spaced war,

away at the end face of the other of said flanges from the adjacent faceof said strain ring, the neck being movable by said bolts to inclinedpositions on either side of the normal plane of the neck and 'vcll'uin.

14. In a string instrument, the combination with a body having a rimmember of an outer casing spaced are l said riin member, a neck havingan end portion provided with a recess receiving a portion of the outercasing, the neck at one of the sides of said recess pivoting on theadjacent edge of said portion oi? the outer casing, and means forcooperet between the body and neck for J reporting the neck andconnecting the body and neck in substantially the same plane when theneck is in normal position, the neck being movable by said means toinclined aositions on either side of the normal plane of the neck andbody.

15., In a string instrument the combination with a body having a rimmember of a tone band on the rim member, a vellum stretched over thetone hand, a strain ring for the vellum, an outer casing spaced aroundthe rim member, a neck having an end portion having a recess formed insaid end portion by extending flanges and receiving therein a portion ofthe outer casing said flanges having ai'cuate end faces conforming tothe adjacent faces of the outer casing and said strain ring, the neck atone of the sides of said recess pivoting on the adjacent edge of saidportion of the outer casing, and means cooperating between the body andneck for supporting the neck and connecting the body and neck insubstantially the same plane when the neck is in normal position theneck being movable by said means to inclined positions on either side ofthe normal plane of the neck and body.

Si ned at 253 Broadway, N. Y. city in the county of New York and Stateof New York this 10th day of ()ctober A. D. 1923.

lVILLlAlt i L. LANGE,

